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PaperclipPerfector  3mo ago (text post)   26341 thread views

Culture War Roundup for the week of June 3, 2024

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I don’t buy that Superman was written with secretive philosemitic intent, even if the writers have said as much.

I know, I know, I'm not telling you what you want to hear but what you need to hear.

Clark Kent is an Anglo-American name, but Kal-El is Hebrew for Voice of God. To defend a point @Amadan made, just because a mythological figure was created with one intention does not mean that intention is followed or respected in all the portrayals of the figure. Zach Snyder's Superman is definitely portrayed more Aryan and Christ-like and Lex Luthor Jewish, a reversal from the comic-books. It seems the upcoming Superman is the first cast with a Jewish actor so it will be interesting to see how the character is different from Snyder's interpretation.

But of the origins of the character, there can be no doubt. From Rolling Stone:

To our ears, fighting for “truth, justice, and the American Way” may sound like old-fashioned patriotism. But in the 1940s, it was controversial.

In fact, looking back on those early days, Superman was very woke. He was known as the “Champion of the Oppressed.” At a time when Republicans opposed President Roosevelt’s liberal programs and opposed entering World War II, Superman supported — in comic books and on a wildly successful radio program — the New Deal, open immigration, and entering the war against Hitler. Some episodes of the radio show lampooned the KKK.

Indeed, in 1940, Nazi propaganda accused Superman of being a Jewish conspiracy to poison the minds of American youth.

Of course, after Pearl Harbor, American sentiment changed, and Superman became a national hero, not only fighting Nazis in the comic books but with his image emblazoned on tanks and planes. At first, however, he was a progressive — even a radical.

And of course, Superman was also an immigrant. As Schwartz puts it in his book, “he is the ethnic guy with the Hebraic name Kal-El who came to America, changed his mannerisms and appearance. He tucks his tallit [Jewish prayer shawl, but Schwartz means Superman’s costume] down into his suit, and he goes around the world like a gentile. So it’s sort of like the ultimate assimilation/assertion fantasy, the ability to decide which part of you should interact with society at any given moment. What is more American than being an ethnic immigrant, and bringing the gifts and uniqueness of your cultural heritage to the greater benefit of the American society?”

Sorry to rain on your parade, but it's important to understand how and why this stuff happens, and why all this stuff is important. The realm of story and myth is the most important in Culture War.

Kal-El is Hebrew for Voice of God

It's almost Hebrew for "voice of God". Which doesn't count.

(voice followed by god would be "kol el" and Hebrew grammar wouldn't let you phrase it that way to mean "voice of god" anyway.)

(As an aside.)

Superman supported — in comic books and on a wildly successful radio program — the New Deal, open immigration, and entering the war against Hitler. Some episodes of the radio show lampooned the KKK.

He also foiled, imaginary, schemes of interned Japanese against America and rationalized said camps. Since FDR is considered by progressives of today to have been on the wrong side of that one, it gets minimized and, in this case of this article, even omitted.

A contrast emerges: there was contemporaneous opposition to slavery by creators of culture, which produced works such as Uncle Tom's Cabin. Internment camps were, however, condoned by even progressive producers of media of their time and any work of art which speaks ill of the camps, was made after 1945.

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